This is another good episode. The writers are moving in the right direction with Rachel and Tom as agents and potential friends.
Good to see Rachel's family. It shows that she has a loving family compared to the disfunctional family life that Syd grew up with.
After the meeting Sloane thanks Sydney for her letter of support. He says that it must have helped the Tribunal clear him. Syd says that its okay. That shows that Syd has accepted that Sloane is reformed and means well. Arvin then says that he has a confession. He explains that even though he always visits Nadia at the hospital, he can't bring himself to go in because of all the tubes and wires, knowing that he is responsible. Syd says that she knows that he will do anything to find a cure. Sloane agrees that he will do anything. This scene addresses how Syd can work with Sloane, Sloane does feel love and guilt for Nadia, and his motivation for working with Dean.
We do see that Sloane isn't on Dean's side. He is giving the minimum amount of cooperation possible. Arvin is going to turn on him. I predict he will confide in Jack (and possibily Syd) soon.
I loved Dixon on the mission "Our love is a forbidden love!" :lol: Rachel gets discovered by a guard, freaks out and runs away. Tom uses his dirty fighting skill to pickup a stand and bash the guard with it. Rachel is ashamed. Once again we see the newbies do things differently and unique to themselves.
I like how Rachel said tha she knew that she blew the first mission so she needs the second mission to show the others and herself that she could do it.
Sloane meets with Gordon Dean that Rachel is going on the mission alone. He'll get the weapon data from Rachel after she gets back and give it to him. After Arvin leaves, Dean tells Peyton that he doesn't trust Sloane. They will take the weapon themselves. Kelly says that Rachel thinks that she is her friend. Dean says that Rachel can't be turned, so if Peyton happens to encounter her in the mission, she should put a bullet in her head.
I guess that we needed the scene of Syd at the store buying baby things, showing that she is dealing with her pregnancy.
So liked the writers having Rachel introduces herself as "Ra... Mandy". Janos thinks that her name is "Raymandy." Syd tells Rachel not to let Janos kiss her. She should take charge. So she slaps him. Janos likes it! A nice echo of a previous season's S&M freak. :lol: Using that knowledge Rachel has Janos' cooperation in being tied to bed. Fun to see her say the babytalk between them creeps her out. She tapes his mouth shut and takes the data.
Interesting to see Peyton and Gibson's relationship play out. Peyton seems to be willing let Rachel go if she gives her the data disk. Syd tells her to cooperate, if she thinks that Kelly is telling the truth. Rachel properly assesses that she is lying, so she attacks. Peyton admits it and says that she would have been sad to kill her before, but now she'll be happy to kill her. The fight scene appeared to be substandard. I wonder why the fight coordinator didn't make a better looking fight. Hire some stunt doubles of Amy and Rachel if they can't do it. The fight gets interrupted when guards open fire. Rachel pulls Peyton away to save her. I guess it is supposed to show compassion, but people will say that it is stupid to save an enemy.
After the mission Sloane meets with Dean to explain why he isn't going to get the disk. The reason: for not trusting him. Many people at the Sloane thread predicted Sloane wasn't under Dean's control and would turn on him.
What a treat to see Sloane assert himself to Dean. The poor guy is deluding himself thinking that he has Sloane under his thumb. When he threatened Nadia, he might a well have stuck a gun into his own mouth. We KNOW Sloane is going to make him pay dearly for that. :w00t:
After the debriefing Rachel says that Jack is scary and Syd agrees. Rachel thanks Syd for helping with her cope with the mission. Syd tells her that Naughn did that for her. Rachel says that she wishes that she could have met him. I concede that was a nice moment and it fit the show.
Another nice moment is seeing Sloane comes into Nadia's room to hold her hand. I loved it. It is necessary to show that to people who still think that he a heartless father who only cares about himself. Sloane is only pretending to be on Dean's side, waiting for the right time to turn on him.
Was the scene of Sydney playing a recording of Naughn and her chatting for her baby necessary? If he is only to come back for a dream, shouldn't the writers just forget about having reminders of him? It torments people who like him and annoys people who don't. Or are the writers trying to prepare for his eventual return? How would they explain surviving being turned into Swiss Cheese?